Remember
by Cymoria
Summary: Paul's whole world goes supernova. Will he ever be able to breathe again? When Rachel dies in a car crash on a rainy road one night Paul feels as though his life stops with hers. This is a story that makes you believe in second chances. Paul/OC Started anew after a very long Hiatus. Sorry...
1. Rewrites

Hey folks _ I'm taking the story down for a rewrite. I'll repost and actually continue it past chapter 4 soon. Thanks to everyone for understanding my need to make it better. D. 


	2. Regaining Gravity

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Remember.**

Chapter One

Remember me when I am gone away,

Gone far away into the silent land;

When you can no more hold me by the hand,

Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay.

Remember me when no more day by day

You tell me of our future that you planned:

Only remember me; you understand

It will be late to counsel then or pray.

Yet if you should forget me for a while

And afterwards remember, do not grieve:

For if the darkness and corruption leave

A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,

Better by far you should forget and smile

Than that you should remember and be sad.

-Christina Rossetti

His knees buckled and he started to fall, the weight of his shadow enough to drag him down. His mind reeled in shock as he felt the cables snap back into his chest one by one. The elasticized steel slashed his heart into ribbons. He couldn't keep his eyes focused. Shadows kept drifting across his vision.

"Paul! Paul!"

Someone was shouting his name. He couldn't see them. He couldn't feel anything but the fire that burned in his hollow centre. He couldn't see anything but the translucent threads now drifting aimlessly around him. They sliced into the creases of his hands as he grabbed at them and desperately tried to tie them back in place.

Strong hands gripped his shoulders frantically shaking him like a rag doll. Or was that him that was shaking?

"Do something Sam! He's not breathing!"

_Was that Emily? Why did her voice sound so far away?_

"Paul!" Someone slapped him hard across the mouth. "Paul, what's going on? Breathe, damn it!" The voice sounded frantic. The Alpha command dripped from every syllable.

Paul drew in a long breath and let it hiss out slowly. "Sam, Sam, where's Rachel?"

A cleft formed between Sam's eyebrows. "She went to the store with Kim."

Emily's eyes flickered nervously from Paul to Sam and then back. Her breath was racing. She touched her face, hesitating, before reaching for Paul. Her hand shook on his arm where it gripped him. "I needed some things for dinner Paul. You gave Rachel your keys remember?"

He could smell fear rolling off her in waves. Sam felt it too and placed himself between the pair.

Emily's eyes flashed as she took them both in. "Sam, I don't understand what's happening to him?"

Nausea pitched Paul forward. Every muscle in his body contracted, stealing his breath. He could taste blood at the back of his throat. "She's gone, Sam, She's gone! She's not here anymore." Paul groped at his chest trying to rip out his shattered heart.

"What do you mean?"

Paul tried to re-swallow his stomach "She's gone, Sam. She's not here anymore. I can't feel her anymore" His eyes rolled back into his head.

Sam's eyes widened. "Emily, go call Charlie. He'll be able to help us find them."

"But, Sam, I don't..."

"Emily, now!"

Sudden understanding dawned on her features as Emily raced for the phone.

Sam reached out and held Paul's face in his hands. "I need you to focus on my voice, brother. Everything is going to be okay. You will be okay. We will make this okay. You need to stay with me." The command was strong in his voice. It was too strong for Paul to ignore.

So it began. Paul gasped. He felt cold. Ice clawed its way down his back to the ground. It etched vaporous roots deep in the earth. It tied him, bound him and tore him in two. The searing pain in his chest, in his gut, it was worse than anything. It was worse than phasing for the first time. Paul laughed. It was a bitter hateful sound. His voice sounded fuzzy, like he was one scotch short of drunk.

"Sam, nothing is going to be okay again." Not when he was left with nothing but the empty, rotting shell that even now died around him.

Paul was sobbing as he felt his soul explode from his skin. Mercifully, everything went black.


	3. Aftermath

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Chapter Two - Aftermath**

An elder once told him, "All that protects the heart is a bandage of rib bones." Sam laughed at him at the time. He told him he was a broken-hearted fool and scoffed at his insistence that one day he would understand. What did Sam know about loss? He had Leah, then Emily. His whole world had been filled with women who loved him unconditionally or unrequitedly for as long as he knew girls existed. Now, he knew better. He was the fool. The old man was wise.

Sam could feel the bandages straining around Paul's heart with every beat it took. Hell, he felt them with every beat of his own. He felt every sob, every quiver, and every breath Paul inhaled since the day Rachel died. Sam, had five long months of waking up in cold sweats, screaming another woman's name. It had been 181 days of absolute agony.

Emily, well, she seemed to understand. She quietly watched how Sam's eyes darted to the corner before he kissed her hello. Paul had not shifted back once since Rachel died. He curled up in a tight ball and stuffed himself behind the couch as far away from any light source as possible. He ate only when Sam had Carlisle force a tube down his throat. At first, both packs had to hold him still while the good doctor worked. Eventually, they didn't have to hold him down anymore. All the anger, all the rage, everything that made him Paul, was gone.

Sam's pack, they lost their spirit along with Paul. All of them were varying degrees of depressed. When they patrolled, their tails and heads hung low. They took to walking softly and slowly when Sam didn't prod them along. About a week after the accident, they came upon the place where Rachel died. They inspected the area, pinned their ears back, dropped their tails, and howled. It took about six weeks before they stopped returning to the place, wandering about in a figure-eight, as if searching for her there.

It took longer for the smell of the blood to fade.

Jacob's pack seemed to be faring better. There was still something off, something not quite right in the way they held themselves. It just wasn't to the same extent as the others. It was as though Paul's taint only leaked through to Seth, Leah, Embry and Quil when the weak connection between the Alphas was opened.

Emily grew restless in her day-to-day routine. There was an unexpected vacation from her kitchen. The boys made an effort at first to at least pop in for a visit or two here and there. However, after a week or so, they just couldn't handle the anxiety anymore. They shied away from the sorrow that radiated outward from Paul.

The imprinted pack members couldn't bear to leave their mates for extended periods of time. Even a few hours away from Claire left Quil a sweating, swearing, angst-ridden mess. Jared wouldn't come within thirty feet of Sam's place and had been dodging everyone for weeks.

_He's being an idiot. It's not his fault Kim survived. _Sam walked noiselessly through the woods. _ Blame it on fate, on God, on whatever deity you worship. It was no one's fault._

It was time that it ended. In order to heal, they had to face each other. Paul could no longer be avoided. If they didn't reach him soon they would lose him. Sam could feel his hold weakening a little bit more each day. Besides, Emily wanted to 'feed the army', so to speak. She missed her role as den mother, and Sam, well; he could never deny Emily anything she wanted.

_Brady, gather everyone up and bring them all to my house. It's time we shared a meal. _Sam felt Brady phase out of link. He knew it was only a matter of time before he managed to get all the guys together. The only one Brady wouldn't reach was Jared. His second-in-command had stopped phasing weeks ago and had become a master of avoiding everyone, except for Sam.

At the edge of Forks, Sam phased, drew on his jeans, and walked swiftly toward the town diner. Jared's shoulders tensed as he felt him enter and stand behind him.

"Isn't there someplace else you need to be?"

"That's kind of stating the obvious, isn't it, Sam?" Jared absently picked at his food. "We all _need_ to be somewhere. The question is, do we actually _want _to be there?"

"Don't be an idiot, Jared. Emily just wants everyone over for dinner." Sam heaved a sigh, leaning back on the counter. He couldn't sit still, grabbing the nearest something or other to fidget with. Jared watched Sam's hands carefully as he manipulated a knife around his fingertips. "She misses you. And you know what Emily wants_" Jared broke in midsentence, his gaze burning holes in the counter top.

"Emily _usually _gets. I know that, Sam. I already know all about it, believe me. It's the same with Kim." Jared sighed, "Not this time, okay? I can't be in the same room with _him_ yet. Besides, I just ate." He shifted his attention to the glass of water on his right. After taking a long pull he gently set it down before standing. "Kim is expecting me. I need to get going or she'll worry." He leapt up, eager to get away.

Sam barely hesitated before he followed him outside. He felt the worn cotton of Jared's t-shirt rip in his trembling hands as he threw him up against the wall of the diner. "You _will_ go to dinner," Sam growled, "You _will_ smile and you _will_ pretend to enjoy it! So help me, Jared, if you so much as look at the clock, I will rip your eyes out!" Sam's whole body was shaking. He was filled with a rage so hot, he was sure his hands blistered Jared's skin.

"Fine, yes, okay Sam!" Jared's eyes were huge. He couldn't get the words out fast enough before he sprinted off in the direction of Sam's house. His car was long forgotten in his haste to escape.

_Escape from me! _Sam scowled. Jared's fear aggravated him further. _He was terrified of _me_._

Sam cursed Paul. The strange link between them was starting to overwhelm him at times. It took everything Sam had to stop from phasing in the diner parking lot. It was frustrating, feeling Paul's personality taking him over. It was one hell of an inconvenient side effect from whatever magic he had worked the day Rachel died. One he definitely didn't like.

_Goddammit, why could Paul never control his temper?_ Sam spent a great deal of time deep in thought as he slowly made his way back home. He couldn't afford to be out of sorts. Both packs would be there tonight. He needed to be in full control.

Quil was playing Go Fish with Claire when Sam arrived. He smiled at the girlish laughter that filled his home. Something was different though. He raised his head and sniffed, testing the air. His eyes flickered to the corner.

"God, Quil, would you grow up for ten seconds? Come sit at the big boy table?" Leah was back to being her usual self. She had regained, overnight, the hard edge that had started to fade before Rachel's death. They had been close.

"Claire, sweetie, ear muffs." Quil screwed up his face. "Leah, stop being a bitch. If I wanted to know what you thought, I'd ask you."

"You say I'm a bitch like it's a _bad _thing_." _She smiled and hung her legs lazily over the side of the couch.

"Leah, you can be so…. No, forget it. I'm not getting dragged into this again."

"Oh, come on, Quil, What's your cry baby whiny-boy opinion?"

"Leah, why can't you stop being so aggravating?" Jacob rolled his eyes. "It's not helping anyone's stress level."

"Stress." Sam slammed the door behind him. "Since when do any of you know what real stress is?"

Emily came quickly out of the kitchen. She wiped her hands on her apron. "Sam, enough. Dinner is ready." She smiled at the gathered group. Emily was in her element again. "Last one to the dining room has to do the dishes." She was nearly trampled in their rush to the table.

Dinner was fairly uneventful. They ate. They fought over scraps. Hell, they even bantered a little. Once the table was cleared, Sam stood at the head. His eyes twitched again to the pile of fur in the corner. Something felt off. He put it at the back of his mind. He couldn't afford to be distracted by Paul anymore.

"I'm glad you're all here. There are some things I would like to discuss. This tie to Paul is dragging me down. It's getting to the point where I don't want to get out of bed anymore." His eyes were downcast, veiled with doubt. "The only difference between him and me is I do get out of bed. I do face the world. I haven't been a good Alpha to my pack. I haven't tried hard enough to keep us from drifting apart, and for that I'm sorry. Jared won't even phase with us anymore." Sam paused. "I think maybe I should pass you all to Jacob. I don't know if it's healthy for you to be linked to me."

The hairs on the back of Jacob's neck stood on end. He shook his head. "Absolutely not, Sam. I can't be tied to La Push. My life is with Renesmee now. You know that. This has been hard on all of us. My father-" Jacob broke off midsentence. His throat closed around the words.

Jared looked up, with tears in his eyes. He had felt the accident as soon as it happened. He had felt that Kim was hurt. It was all he could do to get to her. "Sam, you should see Kim. She feels so guilty. She shouldn't have had to see. When I got there, what I saw, it's burned in my memory." His jaw muscles jumped as he considered his words. "There's a reason I haven't phased with you all. I didn't know if he'd be able to see. Paul, he shouldn't have to see. None of you should." Jared ripped his hands through his hair. "Rachel must have hit that black-tailed buck dead on the driver's side." He covered his eyes as if trying to block the image seared there. "Her head, it was gone, Sam. She was in the front seat. Her head was in the back. I-"

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" A naked Paul sobbed as he threw himself on top of Jared, fists flying. They all stared in shock. The packs had gotten so used to treating him like he wasn't there. They hadn't noticed his leap. It took almost all of them to tear him off of Jared before he killed him. "Oh, God! Rachel! Oh God!"

They all stood in silence, watching their broken pack member. They lamented that they could not close their ears with as much ease as they could their eyes.

For the second time in so many months Sam held Paul in his arms as he wept.


	4. Hurt

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any Twilight franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Chapter 3 - Hurt**

"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live." -Norman Cousins

As rain whispered across the pane, an old man watched his reflection in the window. Every line on his face was deeply carved. A map of everything he had experienced in his long life. His journey from birth was etched along the curve of his forehead. Each loss he experienced tunneled down into the deepening creases around his eyes. Billy didn't understand how it had happened. When had he become so old? When had youth packed its bags and slipped away unnoticed?

The crackle of aluminum was the only sound as he raised a can to his lips in the dark. The beer tasted warm and stale, but it didn't matter. He was trying to kill a memory. All day, every day, all he could think about was them. Images played in an unending loop behind his eyes. First Mother, then daughter, both were now gone. History repeated itself in a sick sadistic loop. Their funerals became intertwined, coffins nailed shut to hide the horrors inside. He wanted to drown his liver in liquor and end it all in a drunken haze.

Everyone he knew went away in the end. His wife, his best friend, his daughter, they were all dead. Sue had even abandoned him. After all he had done for her after Harry's death, she left him here alone, and for what? For Charlie, she left him for Charlie. A bitter laugh fought its way out from behind his teeth. His son, however, was still around. He came over each evening to check on him.

Jacob cursed in the kitchen. "Dad, what the fuck? Did you even attempt to eat the dinner Emily brought over?" Billy raised the can to his lips again. He had to get in as much as he could before Jake came for him. Billy had tried hiding the liquor, but Jake always managed to sniff it out. Suddenly, a snarling voice at his bedside startled him. "Dad, where in hell did you get that?" Jake ripped the can from his hands, sending an arch of liquid in the air. "The kitchen counter looks like a trashy bar at closing time. If I find out who's buying you this shit, so help me God, I will beat them senseless."

Jake manhandled Billy into his chair and wheeled him around the bed to the living room. "You have to eat something Dad. You've lost too much weight. Your blood sugar must be through the roof!" He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I won't be able to come every day like this forever. Eventually we will have to move. The Cullens are starting to look too young for their age. "

"The Cullens," Billy spat out the name as it curdled on his tongue. "What do I care about the Cullens? If it wasn't for the Cullens none of this would have happened."

"Dad, you can hardly blame the Cullens for a car crash!" Jake should have known better than to bring up the Cullens. It always ended in a fight between Father and Son. "If it wasn't for Carlisle, Paul would be dead."

"If it wasn't for Carlisle, Paul wouldn't be hurt to begin with. Your sister would still be alive!"

"For Christ sakes, Dad, you're being a fucking idiot."

"Watch your language, young man!" Billy shook his head to stop the room as it rotated slowly around him. "I thought I raised you better than that."

"Funny, I thought you were better than this. I guess we were both wrong, huh?"

"Don't you get it?" Billy ground his teeth in frustration. "If the Cullens hadn't come back none of you would have phased. Sam and Leah would be happily married. You and Bella would be well on your way, too. Rachel would be far away from here. Paul would never have imprinted on her. "Billy lowered his chin to his chest. His stomach heaved as bile burned its way up his throat. He must have had more to drink than he thought. "She wouldn't be dead, son. She would be alive, away from here, safe." He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "I wish _they _had come back sooner. I wish they had come back a few decades earlier so I could've led of the pack. I would've enjoyed ripping Edward limb from limb." He glared at his son. "Look at you, you even imprinted on that half breed she-bitch. You are such a disappointment." Jake had let him down. He had let them all down.

Jake sighed as he took in Billy's slurred diatribe. "You know what Dad, I'm done. I'm finished." Jake grabbed a half empty bottle of scotch from the counter and shoved it into his father's hands. "Call me when you come to your senses, unless you drink yourself to death first." He paused at the door. "I'd rather not bury another family member. I love you Dad. I want to help you, but you're beyond my help now. I can't do this anymore"

"Just leave if you're here to judge me. I get that enough from Sue, from Charlie. You may not understand, but Charlie… he knew your mother." Silent tears ran down Billy's face. "Rebecca and you… well, you take after me. Rachel takes – took - after your mother. Losing Rachel was like losing-" he paused, "it was losing her all over again."

"I never took you for a fool, Dad. Look at yourself. Get yourself together. I need my Father back. I miss you."

"Get out."

"Be reasonable, Dad."

"I said, get out!"

Jake hung his head in defeat. He knew there was nothing at this point that he could do. Jake opened the door and found Paul there, standing on the stoop. He looked like hell.

"Paul."

"Jake"

"What is this? Has my house turned into Grand Central Station?"

"Be careful with him, Paul. He's been drinking again." Jake brushed past Paul as he left.

_Again? I didn't even know he drank? _Headlights curved across living room walls.

"I won't be long, Billy. Sam's waiting." Paul made his way over to where Billy sat, unmoving in his wheelchair.

"It's nice to finally see you Paul. Since you managed to miss my daughter's funeral and all."

Paul sighed. "I know Billy. I wasn't exactly coherent at that point so…"They sat in silence for a few minutes. Paul glanced at a picture on the wall. His nostrils flared. He closed his eyes. When he opened them he found Billy staring at him, a look of disgust on his face. Taken aback, Paul hurried into the speech he had rehearsed on the way over. "I came because I wanted to apologize to you."

"For what?"

"I let her die. I wasn't there," Paul's voice sounded hollow. "I didn't protect her." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring Billy had given him months earlier. He remembered the story that went along with it. It had been Sarah's ring. Billy took every odd job he could find to afford to buy it for her. "I want you to have this back. I know you gave it to me for her, but since... It didn't feel right keeping it."

"Well, now…" Billy looked Paul in the eye for a long time before grasping the wheels of his chair. He rolled the remaining distance across the floor and down the hall.

Paul set the ring on mantle and stood there, surrounded by her scent. He closed his eyes. He could almost feel her there beside him. They had so many firsts in this house. He still heard her laughter echoing off its walls. As he turned to leave, his wolf ears picked up a soft voice from the bedroom.

"Jake may be able to forgive you, but I never will"


	5. Beginnings

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any Twilight franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Chapter 4 – Beginnings**

"The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live." ~Flora Whittemore

* * *

The wind blew gritty sand into her eyes as it raced across the waves and onto the beach. Up until an hour ago, it had been one of the rare sunny days seen on the Olympic Peninsula. Now overhead, black clouds boiled and danced to the sound of distant thunder.

Rory had been lingering here for hours. Even with the threat of the storm she was unable to pull herself away. The wind picked up and whipped her long hair violently around her head. She noticed the tide was coming in. She gazed at the waves as they crashed against distant rocks, fascinated by how the once calm and gentle ocean had become so violent and unrelenting.

She could feel the storm coming.

Rory sighed, leaning back against the driftwood she was perched on. Sunset was fast approaching. She had hoped to catch images of Rialto Beach at twilight with her camera, but if the wind kept up its relentless dance with the clouds, that may not happen. The last thing she wanted was to get her camera wet.

It had been so long since she felt so relaxed. The breeze felt seamless against her skin. Far from shivering with cold, she welcomed the cool tendrils that almost seemed to be trying to communicate with her. They pushed her south, urging her towards some unseen destination.

Rory laughed quietly to herself. "Daddy was right. I am a drama queen." She stared at the horizon deep in thought. She had been on the road for months now, stopping only to refuel or pull into a local campground for the night. From the number of missed calls on her cell, she knew this nomadic lifestyle was driving her father crazy. Rory loved it though, or had loved it up until recently. The closer she got to the west coast, the more edgy she had become. It was like something was pulling her along, urging her to go a little farther each day. Then, a week ago, she had arrived here on the peninsula. She immediately fell in love with the ocean, the distant mountains, and the sound of rain hitting the forest canopy.

Three boys suddenly gallivanted out the woods startling her_. No, not boys, _Rory thought. _Men._ Oh my God, how they were men. They were tall, dark, and heavily corded with muscle. She zoomed in on the tallest one's washboard abs with her lens.

_Mmmm, yummy, _Rory thought to herself, as she absently tucked the hair obscuring her view behind one ear. Two of them seemed to be fighting over something. She focused in on their hands; a Barbie doll? "What the-" The click of her shutter was instantaneous. Rory snickered to herself. "Wait until Jade sees these shots." She lowered her camera and smirked

Quil made a grab for the object in Embry's fist.

"Come on, Embry. Give it back!"

"Come on, Embry. Give it back!" Embry parroted Quil's panic as he dove out of the slower wolf's grasp.

"Embry, so help me, I'll kick your ass!"

"Embry, so help me, I'll kick your ass!"

"Stop repeating everything I say!"

"Stop repeating everythi-"

"Guys, chill. We have an audience." Brady had spotted the girl as soon as they left the tree line. She was tall, maybe 5'10", with long dark hair that fell in waves to her waist. A tiny little waist he could hold with just one hand. He felt a tightening in his groin.

Embry's nostrils flared as he turned. _She smells like vanilla_

"Dude, check it out. She's hot." Brady could feel his blood pressure rising as he took her in.

"Grow up, Brady" Embry cast an uneasy look at his friend. Brady had been having difficulty controlling his hormones lately. Not that the girls on the reservation minded. The pack was beginning to worry about him. None of them wanted a dozen little Bradys running around the Rez. He was still a baby himself after all.

"Seriously, look at that rack. It's-"Embry's fist quickly silenced Brady's last thought.

"Embry, what has Jake told you about beating the puppies? So not cool, man." Quil made a grab for the Malibu Barbie dangling from Embry's fist. Claire would be so upset if he didn't get it back to her soon. "Aw, you got his blood on her dress! Claire is going to pitch a fit!"

Embry sighed and cuffed his pack mate on the back of the head. "Seriously, dude, we need to get you out more." He turned to look at the girl and glanced up at the sky. His inner wolf twitched. "Let's go see who she is. She's obviously not from around here. She'll need to head for cover soon. This storm is going to be a bad one"

Rory watched as the trio stalked across the rocky beach towards her. They looked so eerily alike; it was unsettling. God, they were beautiful. She raised the camera to her eye and snapped a few quick shots. Surely they wouldn't mind. She drew herself up as they approached. Three sets of warm brown eyes stared down at her.

"You do realize that we take thievery very seriously around here?" Quil grinned as he took in her wide eyes.

Rory paled at his words. _What thievery?_ "I don't understand. I haven't taken anything." She twisted one toe in the rocky sand and craned her neck up to look at them. _God, these three are tall._

"Your camera. . ." Quil's eyes twinkled in the rapidly fading light. "It steals souls."

Rory's mouth worked but only noises came out, "Oh! Oh God! Oh, my God. I'm so sorry. I didn't think about that. I didn't realize. . ." Her skin flushed as she fumbled with the buttons on her camera. "Just let me delete them then-"

"Oh no, you don't!" Brady grabbed the camera from Rory's' hands. "Don't listen to that jackass. He's just playing with you." Brady smirked, fumbling with the camera as he cycled through the shots. "God, I am so hot!

She raised her eyebrow in disbelief and scowled. The camera looked like a child's toy in his huge hands. "Be careful with that. It's delicate."

Embry smiled. She was a fiery one. He liked that. He crouched down so he could be at her eye level. He noticed they were green, Hazel, maybe? Her irises were flecked with gold. They reminded him of the leaves in autumn at the moment they started to turn. "The storm that's coming in is going to be a bad one. You should get off the beach ASAP. I really don't want you to make the acquaintance of a lightning bolt."

Rory laughed. "Yeah, you're probably right. I just love it here. I really don't want to leave." She sighed as her gaze lingered back to the ocean. "Everything is so beautiful." She reached her hand out to him. "I'm Rory, by the way." His hand around hers was large and warm. She felt a flutter in her stomach.

"I'm Embry. The baby on my left is Brady. The man-child holding the Barbie is Quil." Thunder rumbled in the distance. He grew uneasy. "Where are you staying?"

"I have a site at Mora Campground. It's about three miles from Rialto to there, I think. I jogged here in about half an hour"

"Jog. . ." Embry pinched his eyebrows together. There was no way he was going to let her travel that far by herself in this weather. He was feeling oddly protective of this one; there was something about her. Something about her eyes drew him in. He turned to his friends as he rose to his full height. "Brady, Quil, head back to the Rez. I'll take Rory back to the campground."

Brady slinked up to Rory, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "Why don't you let me take you darling? I'm far more entertaining than Embry, here."

Quil gave Brady a pointed look and frowned. He agreed with Embry that Rory shouldn't be left alone. But, no way in hell was he leaving her with Brady. "Sure, Embry, we need to get this back to Claire anyhow." He dangled the Barbie in his hand in front of Brady's face. Cutting off his view down Rory's top. "Come on, Brady. Let's head back."

"But-"

"The Rez, isn't that across the river?"

Embry tugged on her hand to distract Rory as his friends ran off into the trees. Quil was practically dragging Brady along. "Come on. We should get going."

"But. . ." She glanced down at where their hands connected and shivered. _He's__ so warm. _A part of her was irked that he was being so presumptuous."Seriously, do you think I'm going to take a walk in the woods with a strange man I just met?"

Embry looked down at her upturned face. The wolf behind his eyes didn't like that she was cold. He didn't like that she looked at him warily, tensing her legs as if ready to take flight. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "Trust me. I won't let anything happen to you." His wolf growled in agreement.

Strangely, the pull she had been feeling for days now lessened a little and settled a bit. It was still there, though. She strained to listen as it whispered disjointedly at the back of her thoughts. Sighing, she snuggled deeper into Embry's embrace. Rory, the girl who trusted no one but herself, trusted him.

"Okay, then. Let's go."


	6. The Eye of the Storm

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any Twilight franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Without you, the eyes gaze, the legs walk, the lungs breathe_  
_The mind churns, the heart yearns_  
_The tears dry, without you_ ~ Jonathon Larson

**Chapter 5 **

"That is the saddest story I've ever heard" Embry ducked as Rory picked up a rock and hefted it in her hand. "Hey now, violence is clearly not the answer here"

"I tell the story of my life's quest and you mock me? Really Embry, how is that fair?"

"My father doesn't understand me, blah, blah, blah. I had this overwhelming urge to travel, blah, blah, blah. I'm using my photography to find myself, blah, blah, blah."

"That's not nice."

"Who said I was nice?" Embry smiled and pulled Rory back into his side.

The wind was picking up. Goosebumps chased across her skin as she nestled into him. "Has anyone told you you'd make a great space heater?"

"Is that your roundabout way of telling me I'm hot?"

"Shut Up, Asshat."

Embry's echoing laughter came to an abrupt halt as they rounded the path and came on her campsite. He gazed in dismay at the small tent that twisted wildly in the wind and then back at Rory. His eyes hardened as they took her in. "Oh, Hell no."

* * *

It had been a long day. No, scratch that, the longest day Sam had spent away from Paul since what they had started calling 'the incident'. Sam had found a job with a construction crew doing some roadwork an uncomfortably close distance away from the scene of 'the incident'. On windy days, Sam swore he could still smell her blood in the shifting breeze, even though the others swore that no such scent existed. Sam no longer spent hours trying to coax life back into the empty shell of his former best friend. He had work to do, mouths to feed, other people who relied on him. Emily was growing less and less patient with Sam every time he burst into a fit of rage over the smallest, stupidest thing. An unwashed dish, a shoe out of place, anything could send him into a fury. He was often stopping just short of repeating past mistakes. Sam sighed; It was a stupid thing he had done, tying Paul here to this place. Sam shot back his whisky like it was water. Emily did not understand why he had seemed to give up on his life as well. Glancing back into the corner , he understood it even less. All he knew is that the amber liquid spreading fire down his throat made him numb to everything around him. It tamed the rage. Sam understood Billy better then anyone realized. His gaze softened as he thought about how Paul now spent his days. He could not understand how Paul could slave for hours at Billy's knowing how much the old man hated him. He fixed this and that, all the time ignoring the angry watchful glare. Paul worked so hard he came home exhausted; collapsing once again in his corner into a deep yet restless sleep.

Sam started, spiraling around to track the voices echoing loudly across the front of his house. Who the hell what that with Embry?

"Embry, you are totally overreacting"

"I'm not letting you sleep in a tent in the middle of winter in raging fucking storm. It's just not going to happen"

"Embry, I've been camping like that for months. It's called winter camping. People do it all the time. Besides, this is the Olympic peninsula, even in the winter it doesn't get cold"

"You can't be serious. " Embry growled, shifting her weight in his arms to get a better grip. How could someone so skinny be so bloody heavy? "You see that white stuff falling from the sky? It's called snow. You sleep out in this your pretty little bits will turn black and fall off. You're not going back out there"

"The hell I'm not"

"It's just not safe for a fragile thing like you."

"FRAGILE? Says who?"

"Says me"

"How dare you! You are such a pompous prick. PUT ME DOWN!

The front door burst open as Embry carried a kicking, screaming, enraged woman over his shoulder and into the front room.

"SAM!" Embry yelled as he desperately tried to hold the thrashing girl in place, "Sam, I need a favor. Jesus, get over here and help me before she seriously lessons my chance of having any pups"

Stepping forward, Sam took in his friend's frazzled state. His gaze shifted to the girl in Embry's arms; he braked like he'd crashed into an invisible wall. Sam's eyes got a little too watchful. He let his features mellow.

"Embry," he breathed, "who's this?"

Stumbling and stammering an enraged Rory finally kicked her way out of Embry's grip and to her feet. Her chest was heaving with the effort of breaking free. She glowered as she flung her hair from her flushed face..

"I'm Rory, who the hell are you"


End file.
